Opening VTF files

Have a problem opening a .VTF file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what VTF files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.

What is the .VTF file type?

The filename extension .vtf mainly represents the Valve Texture Format (VTF). It is a proprietary file format devised by Valve Corp. to hold bitmap graphic textures for their Source Engine, the core technology behind such popular games as Half-Live 2 and Counterstrike.

The .vtf file is a container for flat, environment-mapped, volumetric, or animated textures used in Source Engine-powered games. The VTF file format accommodates several internal image formats, including DXT (compressed), RGBA, BGRA, and others, while the choice of the texture format depends on its intended application. Along with material definitions (.vmt), textures (.vtf) are stored in the "materials/" subfolder of the game's main directory.

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Although VTF textures can be directly compiled from TGA or PSD images with the Valve Texture Tool (VTEX) bundled in Valve's Source Engine SDK, a third-party program named VTFEdit is still the tool of choice for that. Via plugins, VTF textures can also be opened, authored, and saved in bitmap image editors.

Alternatively, the .vtf extension represents the CEETRON GLview VTF file format, with reference to GLview, a 3D modeling, visualization, and FEM analysis software developed by CEETRON. VTF is an ASCII format for storing 3D GLview model data. For faster processing, a binary version of the VTF format also exists.

Here, the .vtf file is a GVLview model. Besides GLview, such files can be opened with CEETRON's free multi-platform GLview Express viewer or imported into other applications with the free GLview 3D Plugin. Since GLview Inova 8, a new XML-based format (VTFx) is used for GLview data files by default.